Jul 30, 2010

As y'all read this, I am driving (yes, I'M driving) to West Virginia for my Grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary! This trip also took place last year and was wonderfully documented by my sweet cousin Ensley! You can read all about it here: We Put The Fun In Dysfunctional. Yes. I love my family. Then Sunday morning, I jet off to Denver for an Operation Smile with 398 of my closest friends from around the world! I am so excited to see some of my friends from school who I haven't seen all summer & to make new ones! See y'all next Friday!

Jul 28, 2010

I leave for an Operation Smile conference on Sunday morning and I wanted to buy a notebook to take notes during the guest speakers. So today, I went to Target. Normally I can find anything and everything I want there, but I didn't find a spectacular, Royar-appropriate notebook. So, alas, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I bought an eco-friendly 6" x 8" notebook for $2.99.

Taking some of PM's preppy scrap-booking paper, I covered the front and back with some fab pink and lime green striped paper.

Then I matted a picture with pink card-stock and put it on the front, back and the two blank pages inside

Jul 23, 2010

1. Don't worry that you don't have a Juicy Couture jacket. They will go out of style in two years.

2. Don't try to shop at Abercrombie & Fitch. You will find nothing you like there anyway. Try Lilly Pulitzer and J. Crew.

3. Enjoy your field trips while you can, for one day your idea of a field trip will be walking to the library.

4. Spend more time with your grandparents and tell them that you love them; they won't be around forever.

5. Don't pay attention in Spanish class, you won't need ever need it. Instead, focus on more important things, such as enjoying recess.

6. You're not going to like that boy in middle school, so don't waste your time. He will turn ugly, while you will blossom into a graceful swan. Maybe. Don't quote me on that.

7. Try to make friends in your class and don't worry that your now 'BFF' is in another class. You'll hate her in a year anyway. Just sayin'

8. Next year you will have your first Cotillion. Prepare accordingly. Also, don't fret if no boys will dance with you. They will see the error of their ways soon.

9. Go to all of your brother's football games, even though you think they're boring, because one day he will graduate and there will be no more football games. Same goes for riding to school with him in the morning; although you think that they will never stop, they shall too one day.

10. Start riding horses again, because one day, homework and sports will dominate your life and you won't have time to.

PS Grow your hair out again. You look ugly. And I mean that in the most loving way possible.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch glass pan with butter. Stir together the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Evenly spread into prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool completely. Mix together the beans with the sazon and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salsa with the tomatoes. When ready to serve, cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch croutons. Toss the lettuce with 3/4 cups of the dressing. In a clear trifle dish, layer the Tex-Mex Salad beginning with the black beans followed by the Monterey jack cheese, the tomato salsa mixture, the Cheddar, the dressed romaine and top with the cornbread croutons. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Jul 7, 2010

Following a few blogs, I have decided to show case MY charm bracelet, plus a few pictures to accompany the charms! It is from James Avery, a craftsman out of Texas. PM, my Auntie, my cousin Meghan (pictured below) and I all have charm bracelets. It's a tradition of ours to always to go to James Avery when we are in Texas. Here are my charms, clockwise from right.

1. A starfish, for the beach.

2. A pineapple, the symbol of friendship from PM.

3. An angel which came on the bracelet when I received it.

4. A music note - I played piano for seven years and the harp/viola for one.

5. The state of Texas, which is honestly my favorite place in the entire world.

The cousins and I at the Gaylord Texan

6. A star, for my late Uncle.

7. A horse, since I rode for about four years and would still love to get back into it.

Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle dry rub all over the pork roast, pressing into the pork. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Combine liquid ingredients and the garlic powder in a medium bowl and pour into a large Dutch oven. Place pork in the oven and tightly cover with aluminum foil then lid. Roast for 4 hours or until fork tender and shreds easily. Brush the roast with cooking liquid every hour.

Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite size pieces.